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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2001-10-03, Page 15HURON CHAPEL EVANGELICAL MISSIONARY CHURCH Auburn - 526-7555 PASTOR DAVE WOOD - 523-9017 Sunday 9:30 am. 10:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. Wednesday 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. • Friday 7:30 p.m. Family Bible Hour Morning Worship Service Evening Worship Crusaders & Youth Adult Prayer Meeting Youth BLYTH UNITED CHURCH Corner of Dinsley & Mill Street Thanksgiving Service and Communion at 11 a.m. Guest Minister: Rev. Cecil Wittich Sunday School will begin October 14 at 11 a.m. Preschool to Grade 8 welcome. Office: 523-4224 MELVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BRUSSELS 11:00 a.m. - Morning Service - Sunday School 9:30 a.m. - Belgrave Service Wheelchair accessible Nursery care available Rev. Cathrine Campbell - 887-9831 .dO01•111••••IF Cornerstone Bible Fellowship Ethel Communion - 9:45 - 10:30 Family Bible Hour and Sunday School - 11:00 - 12:00 Prayer & Bible Study - Tuesday 8 p.m. Adventure Club: Thursdays for 10 consecutive weeks September 27 to Nov. 29, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Children ages 4 to 12 welcome. Ladies' Time Out: the last Wednesday of each month 7;30 to 9:00 p.m. beginning Oct. 31. John 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE, no one comes to the Father, but through Me." Everyone Welcome For more information call 887-6665 BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA Joan Golden - Diaconal Student Minister Church Office 887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wcl.on.ca October 7, 2001 Ethel United Church 9:30 a.m. Worship Service & Sunday School Celebrating Thanksgiving and World Wide Communion Brussels United Church 11:00 a.m. Worship Service and Sunday School Celebrating Thanksgiving and World Wide Communion October 5th, 2001 at 8:00 p.m. there will be an informal time of prayer. All are invited for a time of reflection and prayer. Come worship and celebrate with us! THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA Weiconte4 you to come and woldhip with cm. Trinity, Blyth 9:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist St. John's, Brussels 11:15 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Baptism Xaticsal laaniaftsitag &mace& caltA &gamma decaltatlatta. Deacon in charge, The Rev. Tom Wilson, B.A., MDiv. Ytecuie iota utt fait utatallip this Sunday Morning Worship Service - 10 a.m. Evening Worship Service 7:30 p.m. "The Lord is my light and my salvation -whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid? — Psalm 27:1 BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH it Hwy. 4, Blyth 523-9233 Wheelchair accessible THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2001. PAGE 15. From the Minister's Study Minister speaks of comfort in knowing God By Rev. Dave Wood Huron Chapel Evangelical Missionary, Church, Auburn Another summer has passed us by and the cool weather is setting in. The leaves are starting to turn and fall. How quickly time goes by and as the days turn into months and the months into years and the years into decades, nostalgia becomes all the more precious! Wouldn't it be nice if we could go back to the "good ole' days", where the pace of life was slower and the demands of life seemed simpler? You know, those days when it was still safe to walk the streets at night. The days when you didn't have to lock up everything you owned like Fort Knox and you didn't have to pay a user fee for every little extra. On Sunday, Oct. 14 at 9:30 a.m. at Trinity Anglican Church, Blyth and at 11:15 a.m. at St. John's Anglican Church, Brussels, the Blessing of the Animals will take place to help cele- brate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. All members of both commu- nities, Anglican or from other denominations, are invited to bring their pets and companion animals to have them blessed at this service cel- ebrating their contribution to human lives. The Christian church commemo- rates St. Francis of Assisi, because of his special relationship with the wild and domesticated animals which related to him during his ministry. Francis of Assisi enjoyed a rich, easy life because of his father's wealth and the permissiveness of the times. He was loved, constantly happy, charming, and a born leader. No one tried to control him or teach him. As he grew up, Francis became the leader of a crowd of young people who spent their nights in wild par- ties. Thomas of Celano, his biogra- pher who knew him well, said, "In other respects an exquisite youth, he attracted to himself a whole retinue of young people addicted to evil and accustomed to vice." Francis' conversion towards work- ing for God did not happen overnight. Francis started to spend more time in prayer. One day while riding through the countryside, Francis, the man who loved beauty came face to face with a leper. Repelled, Francis neverthe- less jumped down from his horse and kissed the hand of the leper. As he rode off, he turned around for a last wave, and saw that the leper had disappeared. He always looked upon it as a test from God, that he had passed. His search for conversion led him to the ancient church at San Damiano, in northern Italy. While he was praying there, he heard Christ speak to him, "Francis, repair my church." Francis assumed this meant church with a small c - the crumbling build- ing he was in. Francis even took money that was not his to help repair this church. When his theft was dis- covered, he was taken before the bishop for judgment. The bishop was very kind to Francis; he told him to return the money andsaid God would provide. That was all Francis needed to hear. Wearing nothing but cast-off rags, he went off into the freezing woods - singing. From then on Francis had nothing - and everything. Francis went back to what he con- sidered God's call. He begged for stones and rebuilt the San Damiano Those golden days when you could feelings that have been awakened trust your neighbours on either side worldwide is phenomenal. explicitly as you vacationed and they And yet, despite global effects, we didn't turn your residence into a are required to continue to live on crime scene. (Not that this could ever and for many this may prove to be a happen in a town like Blyth). difficult struggle. With all the uncer- Days where world-wide events tainty, not to mention the endless were uncommon and you had no speculations, there is an uneasiness idea what was taking place on the and even dread of what "might" be other side of the globe, let alone on coming. And yes, there very well the other side of our borders. cold be more, there very well could I wonder, wouldn't it be better if be an escalation of worldwide pro- we could just bury our heads in the portions that could affect even the sand and remain ignorant to world most remote places. events? Although this may very well be the At one time in our history this case, the promises of God continue might have been possible but that to stand sure and as the Psalmist day has passed and the news that pens, "God reigns over the nations; rocked a nation has sent shock waves God is seated on His holy throne." throughout the whole world! It is the (Psalm 47:8) talk of the people, it is the news of There is great comfort in knowing the century and the emotion and the that the Creator of the Universe is church with his own hands, not real- for their wonderful chores, for their izing that it was the Church with a independence, and for God's care. capital C that God wanted repaired. The story tells us the birds stood still Scandal and avarice were working as he walked among him, only flying on the established Church from the off when he said they could leave. inside and out. Another famous story involves a Soon Francis started to preach. wolf that had been eating human (He was never a priest, although he beings. Francis intervened when the was later ordained a deacon under town wanted to kill the wolf and protest). Francis was not a reformer; talked the wolf into never killing he preached about returning to God again. The wolf became a pet of the and obedience to the Church. townspeople who made sure that he Slowly companions came to always had plenty to eat. Francis, people who wanted to fol- Because of these miracles, St. low his life of sleeping in the open, Francis of Assisi Day is often associ- begging for garbage to eat ... and ated with the Blessing of the loving God. Animals who enrich our lives. Francis' brotherhood included all For more information contact The of God's creation. In one famous Reverend Tom Wilson, Anglican story, Francis preached to hundreds Vicar of St. John's, Brussels and of birds about being thankful to God Trinity, Blyth at 887-9273. You are WeCcorne at the BLYTH COMMUNITY CHURCH OF GOD 9:45 a.m. - Sunday School - for ages 3 to adult 11:00 a.m. - Morning Worship 7:45 p.m. - Evening Worship Kids' Club - Tuesday - 3:45 - 5 p.m. Ages 6-11 welcome. Bible Studies - Wednesday morning 10 a.m. Wednesday evening 7:30 p.m. Phone 523-4590 308 Blyth Rd., Blyth not absent nor does He sleep. Though some would scoff and sug- gest otherwise, God is active, God is present and God is watching and the past, the present and the future are in His hands and He has not abdicated His throne. Jesus told us that in this life we would have many trials and would face trouble of many kinds. No doubt, He was right! But He also told us that even in the midst of uncer- tainty, even when the events that bombard us shatter our peace, in Him we can have peace and take heart and courage because He has overcome the world! Whether your name be Anne or Fran, Bill or Bob, it doesn't matter peace is offered, certainty is assured and hope and security is present in Jesus Christ! "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as this world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27) In these uncertain and challenging times, my prayer is that you would know the peace of Jesus. /0202012MILMMIMIML I I Living "Water Cfiritsticut ti Telkumfiip I , 1 I I Nappy lArtakagiaing 9:30 a.m. - Sunday School for all ages, 10:30 a.m. - Worship at Blyth Public School, corner of King & Mill II, Pastor: Ernest Dow ‘ 523-4848 www.tcc.on.ca/-dowfam r 1wwwwwwsragor Church marks St. Francis of Assisi Day